The Story of the Lone Wanderer
by Christoph9876
Summary: I'm updating this summary to let you know that I won't be able to write for a while because of issues with my PC. I'm working on it.
1. Future Imperfect

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fallout 3 or any of it's trademarks, Bethesda Softworks do. Go and find someone else to sue._

**This is my first ever Fanfic! Wish me luck, as I'm expecting this to be a long one. The story will encompass (hopefully) all of Fallout 3 and it's five DLC items. Any and all feedback will be gratefully accepted. Here we go. Enjoy the story, fellas.**

War. War never changes. Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock, and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything, from God, to justice, to simple psychotic rage. In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of fire, and radiation. But is was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was just the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world, but war? War never changes.

In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters known as "vaults." When they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed - and never reopened. It was here, I was born. It is here, I will die. Because in Vault 101, no one ever enters, and no one, ever leaves.

I don't remember being born. Nobody does. But there is one person who was present at my birth. Dad. He tells me it was just the same as any other birth. I came out, he and mum were really happy, and they decided on a name. Christopher Williams. Chris, for short. The doctors showed them the gene projection. I will be handsome, he says. I never saw it, so I guess I won't know until I'm 18. But then, tragedy struck, as it so often does. My mother went into a cardiac arrest. The doctors tried all they could, but to no avail. And thus, my mother died.

My first memory falls a little after my 1st birthday.

"Don't stare into the lights, little man!" Comes the smooth voice of James, my father. "It's just something you'll have to get used to down here."

I stand, using the walls of my play-pen to balance. Walking comes naturally to me. When I reach Dad, he tussles my hair.

"My goodness! Just a year old, and already walking like a pro! Mother would have been so proud. Listen kiddo, I know you don't like when daddy leaves you alone," he says, closing the gate, and moving towards the sleek metal door to my room, "but I've just got to nip to my office."

He flicks a switch to unlock the door, then walks out and it slips closed behind him. My ball is in here. I can play with it for a little while. But it bounces out of my pen. I've seen the gate being opened any number of times, so I know exactly how it works. I retrieve my ball, but then I notice a small book by my toybox. Being a baby, my curiosity overpowers my instinct to not get into trouble. I look at it. "You're SPECIAL" is the title. I flip open the first page.

S is for Strength, and that means I am strong! I can carry lots of toys and swing stuff around all day long!

P is for Perception, a long and funny word! It means what I tasted, smelled, saw and heard!

E is for Endurance, and that's how long I can play! I'm always really healthy, and have energy all day!

C is for Charisma, it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile, and never want to hate!

I is for Intelligence, it means I'm really smart! I use my brain for lots of stuff, like Science, Maths, and Art!

A is for Agility, that's how I get around! I move real fast and easy, and I never make a sound!

L is for Luck, and it's simple, you see! It means that good things always happen to me!

The book was plainly for children, with its bright colours and large shapes. However, I hadn't seen it before, so it couldn't have been mine. I was pondering this when Dad walked in. Seeing me there didn't make him mad, as I had predicted. He simply laughed.

"I guess that serves me right for trying to pen you in! Look here. This was your mother's favourite passage. It's from the Bible." He showed me a framed piece of paper with words written on it. "Revelation 21:6. 'And he said unto me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give unto him, that is athirst, of the Water of Life, freely.' She always loved that. Come on. Let's go and see if your little friend Amata wants to play."


	2. Growing up Fast

**Hello! I'm imagining you've probably read the first chapter by now, and if so, please give feedback! I will probably be updating this weekly from now on, so keep it locked. Now, where were we? **

_9 years later..._

It's my 10th birthday, but nobody has said anything to me. Nothing. I'm pissed, but also a bit peckish, as I haven't had breakfast. I guess some light snacking can't hurt. I head towards the diner and its lucrative frozen yoghurt machine. I flick the switch and walk into the completely dark room. I know it well enough to be able to find the lights, but I barely take a step inside the room when they come on.

"SURPRISE!"

The room is filled with smiling Vault-dwellers, all applauding me.

"Stanley, you turned the lights on too fast! You blinded the poor kid!" exclaims Officer Gomez.

"Happy birthday, pal! I can't believe you're already 10." says, Dad, "I'm so proud of you. If only your mother..."

"I don't have to tell you how special this day is, do I?" He is interrupted by the Overseer, Alphonse Almodovar. He's kind of like the vault's leader. "Down here in Vault 101, when you turn 10, well, you're ready to take on your first official Vault responsibilities." I shudder at the thought of hard labour. "So, I hereby present to you your very own PiP-Boy 3000. Get used to it. You'll be getting your first work assignment tomorrow." He laughs a little to himself, then takes a seat.

Examining the strange device now attached to my wrist, I figure out that the three buttons on the bottom of the display govern whether I am looking at Stats, Items or Data. The device is wired into my brain and bloodstream, and so, is the most useful information processer ever made.

"Enjoy your party, Chris. You're only 10 once."

"Happy birthday!" Amata says, a little loudly. "We really surprised you, didn't we? Your dad was afraid you were onto us, but I told him not to worry. You're SO easy to fool."

"You didn't fool me, I just pretended not to know," I lie through my teeth.

"You're such a liar! Hey, I bet you cant guess what I got you for your birthday!"

I genuinely don't know, so I take a risky guess. "Um, a date with Christine Kendall?"

"Ew, gross! I didn't even know you liked girls!" I knew I'd made a mistake. "Oh well, I guess I'd better give this to someone who likes Grognak the Barbarian better than Mean Christine!" She says, handing over the comic anyway. "I found this in a box of my father's old things. Imagine him reading comic books! I guess we're all ten once."

I thank her, then move forward to speak to Paul Hannon, who is looking nervous.

"Hey Paul, what's up?"

"Hey, uh, really cool party and everything, uh, I know Butch and I give you a hard time, but you don't take that seriously, right? Anyway, happy birthday, and I'd better get back to, uh, you know."

"OK, Paul."

Old Lady Palmer is sitting in a booth, humming an old tune. I decide to walk up to her.

"Hello, Mrs Palmer."

"Ten years old, my my. Why, it feels like only yesterday that your daddy came..." The Overseer is giving her nasty looks from across the table.

"Goodness, listen to me ramble. You're waiting for your present, aren't you?"

The best reply I can muster is a simple 'Yes Ma'am'

"Such a nice polite young man you are! Don't ever lose your gift of speaking your mind so directly." After more such drivel, she finally presents me with my present: a freshly baked Sweetroll. I eat it hungrily. At this point, Andy (the Vault's resident Mr Handy robot) shouts out that it's time to cut the cake.

"Andy, no!" But it's too late. Andy's circular saw blade has cut clean through the cake, sending half of it flying across the room. A heavy sigh rises from the room. I have already eaten, so I'm not really that fazed. I turn on the spot and speak to the Overseer.

"Are you enjoying the party, sir?"

"Of course, he replies. I hope you appreciate the effort Amata put into this party. She seems to like you, for some reason."

"But of course she likes me, I'm a really charming guy!"

I instantly knew I'd cocked up. "Don't presume too much on her friendship, young man. I'm still the Overseer, and I'm still in charge of this vault and everyone in it."

I move up the diner, and speak to Wally Mack.

"This party's pretty cool, I guess. For a little kid. Balloons, Party hats. Not as cool as MY party, though. Remember how Stanley got Andy to do magic tricks? And we all played hunt the mutant in the atrium? Oh, that's right. You weren't invited to my party. Too bad, man. It was really fun."

Butch then gets up, walks up to me, and says "I'm hungry, and that stupid robot destroyed the cake! Gimme that Sweetroll you got from Old Lady Palmer!"

"Oh, it sure was nice when I ate it a few seconds ago." I inform him, in a leering manner.

"You what! Oh, dang, I love those sweetrolls Old Lady Palmer makes!"

"Dick," I say to myself.

"What'd Butch want? I thought you were in trouble there for a second."

"Oh, it was nothing, Amata. Just wishing me a happy birthday."

"Sure. That's what it looked like."

Just then, I noticed a small *bleep bleep* from the intercom by the doorway. Curious, I investigated.

"Hello?"

"Oh! Hey there, sport, listen, could you put your dad on?" Being the nice, obedient child I am, I did just that. The two of them chatted for a little bit, and I noticed the Overseer leaving.

"Hey, Chris, that was Jonas on the intercom. He and I have been cooking up a surprise present. Why don't you head down to the reactor level?"

I left the diner, brushed past Beatrice, and came to the stairs down to the Reactor level. I saw the Overseer going up the stairs next to them, so I hid, and eavesdropped on his conversation with Officer Kendall.

"Did you enjoy the party, Sir?" Kendall queried.

"Bah! I only went because Amata's friends with the brat. Give them five more minutes, then clean up and get them back to work," he said, heading back to his office.

I knew this wasn't the best place to be right now, so I quickly made my way down to the reactor before he saw me.

"What are you doing down here, young man? I thought KIDS weren't allowed down on the reactor level." Jonas was trying his best to seem intimidating.

"Jonas, you know as well as I do that I'm allowed down here. So can it."Ok, hey, I think your dad will want to give it to you himself."

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Dad had crept up on me, and surprised me.

"What kind of surprise?" I ask, excitedly.

"It's your very own BB Gun! The Overseer gave you your PiP-Boy, and you're old enough for work, so I figured you should have this as well." This was not what I had expected, but I decided to roll with it.

"We can't shoot a gun here, can we?"

"No, we can't! But fortunately, Jonas and I have found a place. Come on." We moved through a door to where a crude firing range was set up, with three targets. I managed to hit all three with relative ease. But then, out of nowhere, a large, orange-brown creature appeared. It had six legs and kept exercising its two wings, which were hidden beneath it's armour plated body.

"Careful, it's a Radroach. Think you can take care of that with your BB gun? Just aim and shoot, you'll be fine." After a short while observing it, I managed to find its head. 1 shot should take care of that. Aim...FIRE! The creature's head was blasted across the room, and into a corner.

"So, what do you think? You can come down here and shoot anytime you want." And I did. Almost every day after school, I would come down here with Amata and shoot, whilst talking about various things. Eventually, I built up the courage and broke into the armoury. Walls, lined with weapons. I took a .32 rifle, a .556 assault rifle, and a Laser Pistol. I got to know everything about guns and maintaining them. It was my passion.

**That's the end of Chapter 2, folks! Stay tuned, because Chris will be tested next Friday. Make sure to give feedback and criticism. **


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